Be My Man
by lovefrancesg
Summary: Sequel to Be My Lady. After their game of pretend dating, are Lucas and Riley ready to set foot into making their relationship as real as it can be? Or will Riley's doubts get the best of her again? Find out! Rucas
1. Chapter 1

Previously on Be My Lady:

 _"I never said I didn't like you Lucas," She began as she sat next to him on the edge of her bed. The two shifted so they could face each other. "What I said was that I was confused about my feelings because I didn't know if they were because of the moment or because they were real_ real."

 _"What are you saying?"_

 _"What I'm saying now, and also what I was trying to say before, is that I wanted to try."_

 _"Try?"_

 _"I wanted to give it a shot. You and me. I wanted to explore whatever feelings I had for you but you didn't give me the chance to even put it on the table,"_

 _Lucas' eyes widened. She was willing to give him a shot and he missed it all because he was trying to spare his own feelings. he mentally punched himself a million times and kicked himself in the crotch a billion more. "Are you serious?"_

 _Riley nodded in response, "And then after we get back you chose to avoid me. And every time I wanted to talk it felt like you were pushing me away,"_

 _"So now?"_

 _Riley closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She opened them and they were met by his gaze. She took his hands in hers and sighed, "Be My Boyfriend."_

* * *

 _A week after Texas_...

Following her vacation in Texas, Riley's life almost went back to normal. Three out of the seven days of the week, she would be at work for 12 hours a day. She didn't mind it. It was her job after all, but first and foremost, it was something that she loved to do. Not everyone can say this but she _missed_ going to work. She missed the adrenaline rush. She missed her work family. And most of all, she missed all of the kids.

"So why won't you tell me what you did during your vacation?" Emily, Riley's work best friend, asked. "And I still can't believe I don't have my souvenir."

Riley rolled her eyes and laughed, "I went to a family affair in Philadelphia. Nothing is in Philadelphia except cheesesteak, which you can also purchase at that restaurant around the corner."

"Yeah but what fun would that be going to a restaurant just to get _cheesesteak?"_

"You know what you should do instead?" Riley looked up from the paperwork she was completing on her clipboard, "Chart. Unless you want to stay here until 7 again."

The brunette set her clipboard down by her computer workstation and rounded the corner towards one of her patient's room. She knocked on the door and cleaned her hands with some sanitizer before entering the room.

"Good morning Dylan!" Riley greeted the 6 year old boy with one of her signature smiles. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm okay Nurse Riley," Dylan responded with a weak smile and then returned to his regular scheduled cartoons on TV. It was Dylan's third day at the hospital after being admitted for dehydration brought on by diarrhea. He has been on continuous IV fluids and constant input and output monitoring.

The nurse chuckled and turned to face the little boy's parents, "Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds, the lab tech drew some blood earlier this morning so we're just waiting on that result. When they are ready, Dr. Friar will review them to see how much Dylan has improved over the past few days and we can go from there."

"Thank you so much Riley," Mrs. Reynolds nodded as she reached for her son's hand. "Maybe we can go home soon Dyl."

"Will you still let me eat popsicle?" The boy asked as he turned to face Riley. "Nurse Riley let's me have all the popsicles I can have and lotsa flavors too!"

"No," Riley feigned shock and placed a hand on her chest. "I only give you _a few_."

"You let me have them all the time!" Dylan laughed and everyone in the room can't help but join along.

"Dylan you know popsicles should only be eaten once in a while correct?" Riley questioned as she walked around the bed towards where the IV pump was to check the rate the fluids were going. "You were not drinking a lot of water or juice and popsicles were able to help. But now that you're all better, you'll be able to drink water, and juice, and milk!"

"See Dyl," Mr. Reynold's began. "You should listen to Nurse Riley and drink a lot of milk! He'll grow faster if he does right Nurse Riley?" The brunette nodded and gave her sweet smile towards the little boy, just before a knock interrupted them.

"Good morning Dylan," A man in white lab coat greeted. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds." He paused. "Riley."

"Good morning Dr. Friar," Mrs. Reynolds greeted as she stepped aside so the physician can check on her son. "So what's our next plan?"

The doctor felt for the little boy's pulse and listened to his heart and lungs, "Well I don't see any reason why we should keep you here any longer, Dyl."

"What do you mean?" Dylan asked as he sat up a little straighter, listening intently to the doctor.

"You can go home today!" The doctor announced and turned to face the parents. "I just checked his lab results and everything is perfectly well. We can stop the IV fluids now and you will be set to go after Riley gives you discharge instructions."

The Reynolds' sighed with relief as they hugged each other, "Oh thank you so much Dr. Friar."

"You're welcome!" He gave them a smile. "It's what I do. Well Dyl, it was nice meeting you. Nurse Riley here will take care of you until you leave okay? If you need anything, just let us know okay?"

Dylan nodded, "Can I have another popsicle? I like grape."

Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds shook their head at their son's wittiness but since now that everything was okay, their minds were at peace and they didn't care if Dylan had just _one more_ popsicle, "If that's okay with Nurse Riley and Dr. Friar."

"I'll leave this one to Nurse Riley," Dr. Friar responded, raising an eyebrow at the nurse. "This seems like a tough decision and plus I don't want to get on her bad side."

"Are you scared of her Dr. Friar?" Dylan inquired, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

Lucas scoffed, "Psh no!"

"Okay... So Nurse Riley can I have just one more popsicle?"

Riley pretended to think as she stroke a finger to her chin, "I guess _one more_ wouldn't be so bad. I'll come back in a bit okay?" Dylan cheered for a few seconds and then returned his attention to the television. His parents gave one more thank you to both the nurse and doctor before the two left the room.

"Thank you Nurse Riley," Lucas nodded as he cleansed his hands with sanitizer after leaving the room.

"You're welcome Dr. Friar," She responded as she does the same act. "If you need anything just page me."

Lucas cleared his throat and nodded, "Same to you."

And the two walked away from each other towards different directions, continuing on with their everyday life at work.

* * *

Twelve hour shifts at the Greenwich Village Hospital were always so draining, especially for a new resident doctor. But Lucas doesn't mind as this is what he wanted and this was his life now. He couldn't be happier with how things were going at his new workplace. He was content so he can't complain much with that.

After getting off his shift, he passed by the Chinese restaurant near his apartment so he could order take out. Yes, he did love to make home-cooked meals, but sometimes he would just be too exhausted to even lift a finger in the kitchen. The beauty of eating take out food is that, after his shower, he could lounge in his pajama's in front of the television and go right to bed-so he could rest for another 12 hour shift the following day.

When he arrived at his apartment, he dropped his bag and placed the food on top of his kitchen counter. He groggily walked towards his room and into his bathroom to shower. Although he would've loved to skip the shower, eat, and go straight to bed, being splashed on with some bilious vomit did not seem very clean to him.

With a towel wrapped around his torso, he walked to his drawers to find something to put on. And to no surprise, he chooses blue plaid boxer shorts and a white v neck. After towel-drying his hair, he hangs his towel in the bathroom and heads straight to the kitchen as he could already hear his hunger calling out.

"Food's already on the coffee table and the TV is set to the evening news," A voice coming from his kitchen, called. "You took _so_ long in the shower! I'm already _starving_."

Lucas chuckled and walked over to the kitchen, "Well I didn't think you'd want to hug someone who possibly has bile on their skin."

"Okay I get that but I took 10 minutes. And I have long hair,"

"Can't you just come over here and give me a hug?" Lucas pouted. "I've had a long day too you know."

"You're worst than the patients at the hospital,"

"Please _Nurse Riley?_ "

She shook her head and bit her lip, "Fine. But just a quick one because I'm _hangry_."

Lucas laughed and enveloped the brunette in a bear hug. _Now this_ , he thought, _this makes all of my exhaustion disappear. Riley Matthews._

* * *

Anyone still out there reading GMW fanfics?

Guess who's back and writing a sequel for _Be My Lady!?_ I'm so sorry I took so long! I just found it really hard for me to physically start writing!

What do you think of it so far? I'd love to know your thoughts :)


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - Doctor's Appointments

She could not be happier with how her life was going right now. She was working at one of the best hospitals with a pediatric unit in New York, soon to graduate from her nurse practitioner degree, and dating the one and only resident doctor Lucas Friar.

Riley was thankful that she stood up for her feelings towards the Texan doctor. Because of her persistence, and a big part of it being Zay and Maya intruding in their business, she was able to tell Lucas what she's been wanting to say when they were in Texas. Now, they're testing the waters to see where it leads them and so far, everything was going wonderfully.

After she had dinner at Lucas' apartment, and finished watching the late _late_ news, Riley tiptoed quietly into her apartment and softly closed the door behind her as to not awaken her best friend and roommate, Maya. It was dark in the living room so she had to be careful to maneuver herself to her bedroom. However, the lights turned on suddenly which caught Riley off guard, and there lying on the sofa was her best friend.

"It's way past your curfew young lady," The blonde raised an eyebrow and smirked. "This isn't the first time you've come home late. Your uncle would not be happy."

Riley rolled her eyes and sluggishly walked towards the love seat, which she plopped herself on. "Why are you still awake?"

"I just finished contemplating a new artwork," She responded. "I was just laying here scrolling through my social media pages when I heard you unlocking the door so I decided to surprise you."

"Thanks for almost giving me a heart attack then,"

"I'm sure Dr. Friar would be able to revive you with the kiss of life, or love."

The brunette wrinkled her face, "You need to go to sleep now."

Maya sat up on the sofa using her elbows as support. She tucked one of her legs under the other and placed a pillow on her lap, "I literally have not hung out with you in a long time Riley. Lucas is stealing you away from me. I _miss_ you." She made her best puppy dog face that she was sure Riley would not be able to resist.

"You want to know some juicy gossip don't you?"

"Well duh!" Maya grinned. "Plus I just missed hanging out with you."

"Alright Peaches," Riley rolled her eyes. "I'm off for this weekend so how about we go upstate for a getaway? Can we ask your mom and dad if we can stay in the cabin? Unless of course they're going to be using it this weekend."

Maya shook her head, "Nah they're not. They're on the road right now to Philly for one of Dad's photo assignment so I can grab the keys at home."

"Sounds great!" Riley stood up from her seat. "Now it's time to sleep because I am about to pass out." She walked towards her best friend and patted her on the head. "Goodnight Peaches!"

"Goodnight Riles,"

* * *

It was about a 3 hour drive from their apartment in Greenwich village to Maya's family cabin Upstate. The "cabin", what they call it now, used to be Shawn Hunter's house until he married Maya's mother and moved in with them to a bigger apartment that was close to the Matthews. It wasn't really a surprise that the walk between the Matthews' and the Hunter's apartment was only 23.7 seconds. Both Cory and Shawn had planned for this so they can be closer to each other again, much to their respective wives dismay but to the joy of their daughters as well.

Riley was in her room packing up some last minute clothing. She just arrived from her 8 hour morning shift that Friday and she had no to time to pack the past couple of days. It was un-Riley like to be packing last minute. However, between her double shifts and dates with Lucas, she got distracted.

"Riles I'm back," Maya closed the door behind her and went into her own room to grab her belongings. "I just grabbed the keys from the house and Josh just dropped of the car. We can start loading up when you're ready."

"I'll be done in uh..." Riley lingered with her words and groaned. "Give me an hour tops."

"Do you need help?"

"I'm good thanks!"

By the time Riley finished packing, it was already 5:00 in the afternoon. If they leave in approximately 30 minutes, they should arrive at the cabin at around 9:00 pm, accounting for _some_ traffic. Maya had done some grocery shopping the night before and they planned on making some home cooked meals while they were there. It was their way of bonding and with Riley's busy schedule lately, they haven't been able to do so. Of course, the blonde did not forget the beer and the wine.

Surprisingly, they were able to load and drive off from their apartment just before 5:30. Maya was driving so Riley was sure that they would be able to get there before 9. Yes, her best friend drives like a maniac but she was thankful for her very exhausting day at the hospital that she was able to doze off during the entire car ride. Maya didn't mind knowing well that her friend worked long hours at the hospital and she'll need her rest if she was going to get some juicy information about her love life.

A gentle tap on her shoulder awoken the sleeping brunette. Riley was right. They got to the cabin before 9.

"Okay Riles," Maya began as she opened the car door to let herself out. "Let this fun girl's weekend begin."

* * *

The girls entered the cabin and dropped their belongings at the foot of the staircase. Maya closed the door behind her and took a deep breath. The cabin looked a little different from when Shawn used to live there. The back of the couch was now facing the small kitchen on the east side of the room. A huge plasma screen TV hangs on the wall opposite the kitchen. The photos that were once hung on the wall, were now in photo frames set on a 4 tier display case to the right of the TV.

Riley grabbed the bag of groceries and started putting them away in the refrigerator except for the frozen pizza that they were going to have for a late dinner tonight. While she was doing this, Maya took their bags upstairs to the guest rooms and came back downstairs in no time.

"Pizza is in the oven," Riley announced as she wiped her hands dry on the towel. "Beer is chilling in the fridge. And now we wait."

Maya sighed and plopped on the sofa, with her leg rested on coffee table in front of her. Riley immediately gave her a look of disappointment and swiftly moved her friends leg off the table as she situated herself next to her best friend. "Should we put on a movie or something?"

"I don't mind," Maya shrugged her shoulders and smirked. "We can have it on the background while you tell me all about your _doctor's appointments."_

Riley grabbed a throw pillow from behind her and hit Maya square in the face, "You are crazy!"

"Are you seriously going to make this into one of those stereotypical sleepovers girls have and have a pillow fight?"

"No!" Riley scoffed. "I just wanted to smack some sense back into you."

Within a few minutes, the oven timer went off and both girls got up to fix their dinner. While Riley removed the pizza from the oven, Maya grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge. They set their plates down on the coffee table and situated themselves comfortably. It was already 10:00 but it wasn't bedtime for the two of them yet as it was only the beginning of their night and a long relaxing weekend for the both of them.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lucas was sitting on his couch at home watching the final innings of a baseball game between the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. If Riley were home, they most likely would be watching the game together but unfortunately for him, it would be a lonely weekend as Riley was out of town on a weekend getaway with her best friend. It was only 10:00 but he was already debating on going to bed. There really was no point in staying up and his body would really appreciate the extra rest he would be getting.

The universe had other plans for him however, when his phone rang. "Hello?"

"It's Zay. Zay whaaaat?"

Lucas rolled his eyes as if the person on the other end would see it, "What is the matter with you?"

"What's the matter with me? What's the matter with _you_?"

"What?"

"Lucas, I have not seen you since we got back from Texas!" Zay exclaimed. "How about you and I meet up at that pub on 23rd and 6th?"

"Now?"

Zay groaned, "No Lucas, a year from now. Yes now!"

"But it's already," Lucas paused and checked the clock in the kitchen. "Huh. It's only 10:23."

"Yes grandpa," Zay laughed. "Now are you down or what? Vanessa is at her parents this weekend and I'm bored as hell."

"Alright I'll see you there in half an hour,"

Lucas ended the call and got up from the comfort of his couch to change from his pajamas to something more appropriate to wear at a bar. He opted for dark washed jeans and a blue v-neck with long sleeves. He placed some gel on his palm to spike his hair up on the front. _Huh._ he thought. _Maybe Zay was right. Maybe I do have a thing for blue._

Within half an hour, Lucas arrived at the pub. He went inside and spotted Zay sitting on stool by the bar. He approached his best friend and gave him a one handed hug. The doctor sat down and ordered himself a pint of beer.

"So why the sudden call?"

"I miss you man,"

Lucas narrowed his eyes and raised an eyebrow, "You want to know all about what's going on between me and Riley?"

His best friend began to snicker and a wide smile appeared on his face, "You already know man."

* * *

I sincerely apologize for the delay in updating! I was studying for an exam that I took 3 weeks ago and after taking my exam, I went on an impromptu vacation but now I'm back! I hope to update at least once every 2 weeks. So fingers crossed!

I know this chapter went a little quick but I needed some filler for the upcoming chapters. I'm not yet sure if this sequel will be as long as the original. I'm also figuring out a way how to bring Farkle and Smackle, and other GMW/BMW characters back into this story. Maybe I'll dream something up tonight. Let me know what you think! :) Always appreciate your support!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 - Fifteen More Minutes

The rooms upstairs were left empty as Maya and Riley fell asleep on the couch that Friday night, or more specifically Saturday early morning. The two best friends talked their ears off all night to catch up with what the other has been up to.

Maya was telling Riley that she was in the process of working on another art work that would be again on display at the art museum in about 6 months. Riley, on the other hand, was close to completing the requirements for her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner program in which her next step would be to review for the actual certification (To which her best friend reminded her that, without a doubt, she would be able to do it in her sleep).

Riley spoke about her usual encounters with Lucas at the hospital, since Maya was practically on the edge of the couch waiting to hear about their relationship status. The two were professional at the hospital, of course, but they do eat lunch together whenever their break from work allow them to. Occasionally, they would drop by Topanga's in the morning to grab some breakfast on the go.

During one of their visits, they almost ran late for work because Riley's father, Cory Matthews, was watching the counter for the day and his inquisitive and fatherly nature kicked in when he spotted his only daughter with a man he has never met before. He would've done the same to any other man that was with his daughter but this one needed some special attention from him because he sense that there was something more than the relationship they had at the hospital.

She also spoke of their dates when they didn't have work, or their dinners at Lucas' apartment when they _did_ have long work days. Riley talked about how they would order take out and watch the late news while eating. Which then led to long conversations that often went until past midnight. This explained how Riley would usually come home late to their apartment, one too many times.

Maya was the first one to wake up that morning. She rubbed her eyes open when the rays of the sun through the window, hit her eyelids. She spotted her best friend with her head on the arm rest and mouth wide open. Taking this as an opportunity, she grabbed her phone from the coffee table and took a photo of Riley before waking up the brunette.

"Fifteen more minutes, Mom," Riley mumbled under her breath and swatted the hand away that was touching her arm repeatedly. When the poking didn't stop, she growled and opened her eyes to glare at the perpetrator. "Maya Penelope."

"Woah," Maya laughed as she held both hands up in surrender. "You middle named me."

"You couldn't have given me _fifteen more minutes_?"

Maya smirked, "Well for one, I'm not your mom so..."

"What time is it anyway?"

"It's already 10 o'clock, Peaches," Maya rose from the couch and began to fold the blanket that she had used the night prior. "I think breakfast is long overdue and we are now in brunch time."

* * *

"She's just perfect Zay," Lucas sighed as he stabbed another piece of cantaloupe with his fork and brought it to his mouth. "I just hope I don't scare her away."

Zay wrinkled his face and asked, "Why do you think you'd scare her away?"

"I don't know," Lucas began, putting down his fork on his plate. "This whole thing may be too fast for her. We agreed that we'd try dating you know? No labels or anything to our relationship so there's no pressure on either of us especially with how busy we are with work. But we're acting like how we were in Texas when we were pretending to date. We're acting like a married couple already and I don't want that to be the cause of her running away."

The previous night when they were at the bar, Lucas caught Zay up with what he and Riley were up to with their relationship. He mentioned how they were dating but they're not officially official yet. Their lunch dates at work and after-work dates seemed to remind him of the way they were before Texas and also they way they had to act in front of his family in Texas, but neither of them were bothered by it. To them, this was how they were and being true to their feelings was what they wanted to do.

Currently, the boys were at a nearby cafe (not Topanga's) eating brunch. Zay had stayed at Lucas' apartment for the night, to which Zay commented that it had been a while since their last "men sleepover" because Riley was always around and Lucas would always be too busy to hang out. They woke up the following morning with an extreme case of hunger and hangover (Both of them admitted that they weren't as young as they used to and a couple of beers did a number of them compared to when they were in college and was able to down an eighth of a vodka bottle between the two of them).

"You _just_ started dating Luke," Zay reassured the doctor who he could tell was internally freaking out. "And what if you two were acting like how you were in Texas? Is that so bad?"

"I mean not really,"

"If you think about it, you already know each other so well. You had to do that before you faced your clan in Texas,"

Lucas took a sip of his coffee and took a deep breath, "So you think that because of our pretend dating, we already know each other so well that we're acting like a real couple already because we already passed that getting to know each other phase?"

"Good job Dr. Friar!" Zay applauded and laughed. "Don't over think things man. Just go with the flow."

The two continued with their breakfast. As they were doing so, Lucas took his phone out of his pocket and began to tap a few times.

 _Lucas Friar_ : Good morning beautiful! Hope you're enjoying your weekend getaway with Maya. I miss you already :(

 _Riley Matthews_ : Good morning to you too! Maya woke me up on the wrong side of the couch this morning -_- Pft, you just miss my super Riley hugs.

 _Lucas Friar_ : I miss you and your super Riley hugs.

 _Riley Matthews:_ In that case, I miss you too! Tell Zay I said hello and I hope you two are enjoying your bromance.

 _Lucas Friar_ : Thank you Nurse Riley! I'll let you be now. I'll see you soon :*

He looked up from the table after putting his phone away and Lucas saw the smirk that was plastered on his friend's face, "What?"

"Remember when I said you were going to fall in love with her?"

"I never said I was in love with her,"

Zay raised an eyebrow, "Yet."

* * *

The rest of the weekend flew by quickly. Maya had her much needed time with Riley and Riley was able to escape the stress from work and school. There wasn't much to say about her relationship with Lucas so the rest of their getaway involved cooking, eating, and sleep. The two drove home Sunday afternoon, Riley at the wheel this time around. When they arrived at their apartment, Josh was already waiting for them inside so he could pick up his car for work the following morning. He stayed for dinner and left shortly after so Maya and Riley could rest early before they go back to work the next day as well.

Lucas had an eventful weekend with Zay as well. Though he missed Riley, he also enjoyed the time he had with his best friend. He was glad that he was able to talk about his concerns with his status with Riley to someone else. No, he did not have doubts about Riley just to clarify. He just wanted to make sure that they weren't moving too fast especially if that's not what Riley wanted.

The next morning, both Riley and Lucas were scheduled for work-two 12 hour shifts in a row. The two didn't care however, since they would both be seeing each other at the hospital. Albeit not as much as they would like to, but they do have plans to eat lunch and dinner together at least 2 out of the 4 times during those two days.

"Good morning everyone!" Riley announced as she stepped off the elevator with Lucas trailing behind her. She didn't notice the chuckle that escaped his mouth as she said this.

"Good morning Riles!" Everyone that could hear her around earshot greeted, before going back to the work they were doing before.

Riley and Lucas headed down the same hallway but since they have separate locker rooms, they split ways midway but before parting, Lucas whispered, "I think everyone missed you."

"I think you missed me the most," Riley winked and walked away, leaving the doctor blushing in the middle of the hallway.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think of this one :)


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - There's Nothing I Should Be Worry About, Right?

The days off from work are usually for catching up with sleep. However, for Riley, she spends half of it doing course work for her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner programp. After two consecutive 12 hour shifts at the hospital, Riley is off for three days until she's back for another two 12 hours shifts the following weekend of her girl's weekend getaway with Maya. Unfortunately for Dr. Friar, he was on call and had to return to the hospital for a third consecutive day of work.

Today was a different day off for Riley. Her parents had asked her to manage the cafe while they were out for their monthly date. Topanga and Cory Matthews, although they've been married for almost 30 years, still act as though they are still in the dating phase. Auggie, her younger brother, would make a sour face every time his parents get all romantic but Riley's heart melts every time she sees them together. She wishes someday that she could have what her parents have.

Riley showed up at _Topanga's_ an hour before it opened. She wasn't working by herself of course but their two employees wouldn't be arriving for another half hour. She liked to check up on inventory and make sure everything on display was set whenever she was in charge of the cafe. She straightened the place up a little bit before her employees came in.

Adrian and Belle were college students at New York University who were working for them for the summer. The two greeted Riley as they entered the room and went straight to the back room to get ready for the day.

Seeing as it was a weekday and many people working early in the morning would be stopping by to grab a cup of coffee and an on the go breakfast, much like what she would do if she were on her way to work with Lucas, Riley helped Adrian and Belle with the customers in the early morning hours. It calmed down just a couple of hours before lunch in which she brought her laptop and books to do some of her coursework during down time.

* * *

It was nearing the end of the afternoon when Riley got hit by a wave of drowsiness. She put her head down on top of her books and closed her eyes even just for a few seconds. It wasn't the most comfortable position she could be sleeping on but she could be laying on a bed of twigs right now and she would still fall asleep. Her slumber didn't last for long when a loud slap on the table, jolted her awake.

After calming her rapid heart rate, Riley gave a look of disappointment to the person that woke her up, who was now seated across from her on the table by the window. Staring at her was a hazel-eyed man with light brown hair, wearing a blue scrub top and pants. "Ethan I could make you fall unconscious right now and make everyone think it was just an accident."

"Yeesh Riley!" Ethan put his hands up in surrender. "I shouldn't have woken you up like that."

"Mhm," The brunette agreed, as she closed her book. "I'm glad to see you again even though you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I see you're studying for your NP,"

Riley nodded, "I'm almost done with my course, thank God. How about you? Did you take your critical care certification yet?"

"You're funny," Ethan pointed at her and laughed. "Not yet, but I will soon. You're not the only one bugging me about it, trust me."

Ethan was Riley's old co-worker at the hospital. A couple of years ago though, he transferred to a hospital in East Village as he got an offer to work at the intensive care unit. Apart from Emily and a couple other nurses, Ethan was one of the first people that she met at the hospital. They were hired at the same time and went through orientation together. From then on, they were the best of work friends. Although the distance between them is not that much, they rarely got to see each other because of their differing schedules.

"What brings you here?" Riley asked, shutting her laptop close in the process. "Did you just finish a shift or just about to start?"

"Just about to start and I really need some _Topanga's_ to wake me up,"

Riley stood up gathering her belongings, "Let's go up to the counter. My treat,"

"Riles you don't have to!" Ethan insisted as he trailed behind Riley and sat on one of the bar stools in front of the counter. "I'm here on a few occasions but I never catch you! It's usually either your mom or dad, even Auggie. It kinda sucks we're both busy bees."

"I want to," Riley gave him a small smile and set her stuff under the counter. She placed an apron around her waist and got to work, "I'm guessing the usual?"

Ethan chuckled and nodded, "Yep. But an extra shot of espresso on my americano please!"

"If I add another shot to your drink, your heart rate will probably as close to as how fast mine was earlier when you arrived,"

"I make your heart beat that fast huh?" Ethan joked making Riley scrunch her nose and stick her tongue out at him.

"Anyways, it's my day off today," Riley began while she made Ethan his drink. "But it's my parent's monthly date so they asked if I could manage the cafe for today. They did mention seeing you here a couple of times. It's been a while since we actually saw each other. Ophelia's birthday I think?"

"My God!" Ethan exhaled. "That was so long ago! How did we all make it without seeing each other for that long?"

"Well I see everyone else most of the time," Riley raised an eyebrow at him. "You however,"

"I know Riles," He gave her a grin. "I'm sure we'll meet up again once you finish your NP program!"

Riley put her fist out and Ethan gave her a fist bump, "You know it," After placing a lid on the drink she just made, she walked to the back of the room and grabbed a breakfast sandwich from the fridge. She placed it in the toaster oven for a few minutes, while she prepared the paper bag with a piece of apple, a couple of pumpkin scones, napkins, and utensils. After hearing the beep, she carefully removed the sandwich from the oven using tongs and placed it in a container and into the bag. "Here you go Ethan."

"Are you sure you don't want to take my money?"

"It's on the house," Riley beamed. "As long as you take that certification soon."

Ethan rolled his eyes at her and jumped off the bar stool. He walked around the counter, where Riley met him halfway and gave each other a hug. "Thanks so much Riles. Let me know if there are any get togethers. We'll all do our best to be there."

"Have fun at work!"

"Have a good rest of your night Riles," Ethan waved goodbye as he walked away, passing a tall, green eyed blonde man, wearing hospital scrubs by the entrance.

Riley, not noticing that someone else entered the cafe while she was tending Ethan, began to clean up the counter with a damp cloth. She went to the back of the room again to grab a few more cleaning supplies that she would need in a couple of hours since it was almost closing time. Stepping back into the cafe, Riley glanced up to see Lucas standing by the doorway with a blank look on his face.

"Long day today doc?" Riley giggled not noticing that the doctor hadn't moved since he arrived ten minutes ago when she started making Ethan's drink. When he didn't budge, Riley stopped at her tracks, "Lucas? Are you okay?"

Coming out of his trance, Lucas shook his head and blinked a few times, "Uh yeah." He sauntered towards the counter and leaned against it.

Riley wiped her hands on her apron and walked around the counter, stood on her tip toes and gave Lucas a kiss on the cheek, "Did something happen at work? You look a little upset."

He really wasn't upset. He didn't really know what he was feeling. Disturbed maybe? He had been present during Ethan and Riley's exchange at the counter and he was too confounded by what he had seen and heard, to move from his spot or to even open his mouth to speak and make his presence known. By the way the two were acting, they were most definitely close to each other and he'd heard something about her heart beating fast when she first saw him that honestly drew a knife to his heart.

He knew he shouldn't be jumping to conclusions by a mere interaction that he didn't know the background information to but he couldn't help but feel dejected. If anything bothered him, Riley told him to be open about it. If they were going to make it work, they needed to communicate openly and listen to each other. (Not like when Riley was trying to tell Lucas that she wanted to try dating and he kept on dismissing her.)

Lucas, not wanting to ruin anything, simply gave her a forced smile and shook his head, "Nothing. I'm just really tired."

"Awww you poor thing," Riley giggled and pinched his cheeks. "Did you eat dinner yet?"

"No not yet," He shook his head and set his work bag on the stool. "I was hoping we could go grab something."

"Unfortunately I have to stay here until closing," Riley sighed. "But if you don't mind, I can run across the street and buy a large pizza and we can eat here?"

How could he let that guy she was talking to bother him when she's treating him so well? _She had done nothing wrong_ , he thought. _Maybe they were just friends and I need to stop jumping into conclusions. There's nothing I should be worried about, right?_

"No you stay here," Lucas suggested. "I'll go get the pizza so you don't have to leave the cafe. Plus I know nothing if a customer walks in."

"Okay doc,"

"I'll be right back," He kissed her on the forehead and went his way.

* * *

Why hello there semi-jealous Lucas! So what will Ethan's role be in their relationship? Thought it was all lovey dovey from now on? Think again! What's a love story without the two lovers going through a hardship?

Let me know what you think of how the story is going so far! I've finally figured out how to put Farkle and Smackle in the story but that won't be until a couple of chapters before the conclusion of this story. :)


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Meet Her Parents

"Do you think this is going to be a good idea?" Riley inquired of her best friend Maya while she was pacing back and forth in her room. It was a Wednesday night and they were hanging out in Riley's bedroom, with Maya sitting on the bed, both legs tucked under her. With Riley's growing relationship with Lucas, and her father already having met the doctor at one point, she was juggling the idea of introducing Lucas formally to her parents.

Maya had been following Riley with her eyes as she walked up and down her room. This was probably the fifth time this week that the brunette had asked her if it was a good idea, "I don't see why not. He's a good man." She wasn't wrong there. "Seriously Riles. He's someone worth introducing to your parents."

"You think so?" Riley bit her lip and sank onto her bed, sighing deeply. "You don't think it's too early? I mean it's only been a few weeks."

"I think it's fine," Maya shrugged. "I introduced Josh to my parents after a couple of weeks."

The brunette turned to her best friend and gave her a knowing look, "That doesn't count because Uncle Shawn has known Josh since he was in diapers."

"Okay fine," Maya laughed. "I think that it won't be so bad to introduce Lucas to your parents. You're exclusively dating each other. You're _way_ beyond of age. Plus I think you're the type of person who would want their parents to meet the guy they're dating. It's your _principle of the thing_."

Riley thought long and hard about what Maya had said. It was true that she wasn't planning on dating anyone other than Lucas. They're both established with their respective professions and they're both mature enough to face her parents about it. Lucas is a good guy and if she were to introduce any guy to her parents, it would be him. "I mean obviously I'm not thinking of the long term right now. I don't know if he's the one or if we'll get married someday, but I'm really loving what we have right now."

"And that should be enough," Maya responded. "You don't have to think a long way down the road Riles. No one knows what will happen but what's important is that you're enjoying what you have right now and that you're happy. Are you happy? "

"Very much so Maya," The brunette blushed. Her eyes started to twinkle as she thought of Lucas. "Okay, I'll ask him if he's comfortable enough to meet my parents."

"Can I be there for this?" Her friend asked. "I don't care if I'm just lurking through the window but I just want to see your father's face when he meets the boy who's sweeping his daughter off her feet."

* * *

The following day, Riley was working the night shift so she wouldn't be able to see Lucas until the end of his work day and the beginning of hers. She couldn't shake the nervous feeling she had of asking Lucas to have dinner with her and her family. She knew that her parents would absolutely adore him and that Auggie would look up to him, but the fact of the matter is, this was _the_ first boy she will ever introduce to them and it's making her feel all sorts of nervous.

Riley had the entire day to prepare herself. She texted Lucas the moment she woke up and asked him if he could meet for briefly at the hospital cafeteria. _Topanga's_ would also be an option but since her parents would be there, Riley didn't think it would be a smart idea to ask him to meet her parents while they were in the same room.

Lucas was obviously freaking out at the nurse's request. Riley's text to him read: _Can you meet me in the cafeteria after your shift? I just wanted to talk to you about something_. His first thought was that Riley was going to end their relationship because of that guy that he had seen her with at _Topanga's_ the previous night. What else could 'talk about something' mean? He could barely focus at work, but he needed to shake it off because he didn't want it to get in the way of working and his patients.

During his lunch break, he wanted to call Riley to ask her what she wanted to talk about but he decided against it knowing well that whatever she needed to talk about, would be best if they were face to face. Instead, he dialed his best friend.

"Yo Lucas this better be important," Zay answered his phone. "It's kind of busy here at work."

"Sorry man," Lucas apologized, not realizing that it had been lunch rush. "This will be quick I promise."

"Okay shoot,"

Lucas groaned, "I think Riley is going to break up with me."

A loud metal clang was heard through the other end of the phone as Zay yelled, "What?!" Lucas could hear him quietly apologizing to his coworkers for his outburst. "What do you mean?"

"She texted me this morning," He placed an elbow on the table and leaned his head against it. "She said she wanted to talk to me about something."

"You're kidding,"

"Zay!" Lucas silently cried. "I'm freaking out here."

He could hear his best friend chuckle and if he were next to him, Lucas would've smacked him in the back of the head by now, "I'm sorry for laughing but you're crazy! She is not going to break up with you."

"How would you know huh?"

"Did you _do_ anything to make her break up with you?"

Lucas thought long and hard. They hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. They were both busy from work and when they do have the time for each other, they do their usual thing of eating dinner together and watching the late night news. "I mean nothing. We've been fine. Maybe she's bored with me? Or maybe..."

"Yeah?"

"I saw her the other day," Lucas began. "She was talking to some guy and she was smiling and laughing and all giddy. I heard that the guy made her heart skip a beat."

"So you don't know this guy?"

Lucas sighed, "No. I just caught them talking at the cafe and I overheard their conversation."

"It was probably just a friend of hers Luke," Zay explained. "Riley isn't the kind of person that would cheat on you or anyone for the matter. If it really bothers you, just ask her about it. Remember the Charlie incident? Don't get your panties in a bunch until you know the whole story."

The doctor knew his friend was right. He couldn't jeopardize his relationship with Riley all because he was worried about the guy she was talking to. He doesn't know the guy and what the context of their conversation was. The least he could do is trust Riley. He didn't want to have a repeat of what happened in Texas, "I guess I'll just have to wait until we get the chance to talk later."

"Just relax man," Zay suggested. "She will not break up with you. Okay?"

"Okay," Lucas breathed out. "Thanks. I'll let you know what happens."

* * *

He had checked his watch for the umpteenth time in the last hour of his shift and when it was finally time to go, Lucas hastily went to the locker room to retrieve his belongings. His nervousness did not go unnoticed by his coworkers who were asking him why he looked so jittery. After he had put away the last of stuff into his bag, Lucas shut the locker door closed and sunk onto the bench in front of it. _Okay just deep breaths._ He tried to give himself a pep talk. _Everything is going to be fine. I'm sure it's absolutely nothing_. His kind words to himself did not help when the beeping sound from his cellphone gave him a fright.

 _Riley Matthews: I'll see you in a bit!_

The text message was short and simple, yet Lucas' mind flew everywhere. To him, it was the end of an era and he wasn't ready to let go of it. He slowly stood up from the locker room bench and made his way out. He passed the nursing station where he gave a limp wave of goodbye towards the nurses. Doctor Friar was normally jolly when he leaves the unit, even if he was exhausted from the day's work.

He entered the elevator and pressed the 'G' button that would lead him to the cafeteria. He was only a few floors away from meeting with Riley and he could swear that the people inside the elevator heard his heart thumping. The doors opened and he was the last one to exit. He made his way towards the direction of the cafeteria, where he promptly spotted Riley in her pink teddy bear scrubs.

"Hi!" Riley waved excitedly as Lucas drew closer to her. "How was work?"

"Hey," He responded with less enthusiasm, sitting down on the chair across from her. "It was okay."

Sensing that something was not right, Riley touched his hand causing the doctor to stiffen, "Did something bad happen?"

He shook his head, "No nothing." _Yet._ "So what did you want to talk about?"

Riley took a deep breath and Lucas started bracing himself for what was to come, "Okay I hope that you don't freak out or anything."

"Why would I freak out?" His eyes widened at how she started the conversation.

"I don't want to push you okay?"

"Okay..."

"I was wondering if you'd like to meet my parents and brother this weekend for dinner," Riley said in one breath.

Lucas' jaw dropped, "That's it?"

"What do you mean that's it?" Riley questioned as if insulted by his response to something that mattered so much to her. She felt that this was a big step in their relationship and it had meant nothing to him.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean it like that," Lucas chuckled and shook his head. "I was all paranoid the entire day since you asked me to meet with you to talk. And I thought that..."

"You thought that I was going to break up with you?" Riley continued for him as he nodded in response. "What made you think I would Lucas?"

"Nothing," Lucas sighed, putting his head down in embarrassment. "I guess when you said _talk,_ it kinda freaked me out."

"Luke," She placed her hand under his chin and lifted it so they could see eye to eye. "I cannot think of anything that would make me break up with you. I _really_ like you."

And for the first time that day, Lucas smiled genuinely, "I really like you too Riley."

"So would you like to meet my family?"

"It would be a pleasure to meet them," He replied with a twinkle in his eye. "It's only fair since you've practically met my entire family already."

"That is very true," She giggled and stared a little bit longer in his eyes. "I'll talk to you later about the plan okay? Right now I have to go to work."

The doctor pouted, "Do you really _have_ to?"

"I do Dr. Friar," Riley stood up from the chair and grabbed her bag that she had placed on the table. "There's still some leftovers in your fridge. Make sure you eat that."

"Thank you Nurse Riley," He rose from his seat, gave her a hug and a quick peck on the lips. "Have fun at work."

"Always,"

As he watched her walk away, the worry that was in the pit of his stomach dissipated. He was the luckiest guy on earth all because he had Riley Matthews. Everything was going well between them and nothing could ever ruin that. That is until it had finally sunk in and the worry that he thought he had rid of his body, turned into full blown panic.

"Crap," Lucas stood there with wide eyes. "I'm going to meet her parents."

* * *

Looks like meeting the parents got Lucas all nervous! How'd you think this meeting is going to go? I mean, we all know how Cory Matthews can be ;)

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! :)


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